Thanks to donations from six semiconductor companies — Applied Materials, Okmetic, Murata, Bosch Sensortec, Kyocera Technologies and Canatu — Aalto University has been able to offer students interesting summer placements at the Schools of Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Science for the past three years.
Semiconductors play a significant role in people's daily lives. The technology is used in a variety of areas, including smartphones and computers, cars and aeroplanes, as well as energy, defence and transport infrastructure.
The demand for semiconductor experts is also constantly growing. The Semi-Summer programme aims to ensure that there will be enough experts in these important technologies in the future.
In the projects, professors hire summer workers for their research teams with the help of corporate donations. During the summer, students also learn about companies' operations and career opportunities, and observe firsthand how semiconductor-related products are manufactured
Heikki Holmberg, head of the Semi-Summer semiconductor group and product development director at Okmetic, says that they support semiconductor-related research to increase awareness and attractiveness of the field among students.
’We have found that students are not really aware of, or necessarily understand, the abundant career opportunities the field offers. At the same time, we have established a good dialogue with various research groups at Aalto University and increased our research collaboration with them,’ Holmberg says.
For Eero Ristolainen, a student of applied physics, Semi-Summer summer job project was a first experience in working in a research group. He was very pleased with it.
’During the summer, I learnt what doing research means in practice, which is, of course, very different from studying. I also had the opportunity to expand my knowledge in various areas of physics, including X-ray diffraction, thermal conductivity and signal processing. The summer also provided a valuable opportunity to hone various general skills relevant to research and my studies, including programming and report writing,’ says Ristolainen.
He also had the chance to hone important workplace skills such as problem-solving and self-management. He believes that these skills, such as working independently and solving challenging problems without ready-made answers, will definitely be useful in the future.
‘Unlike in my studies, where the requirements are strictly defined, I had quite a free hand in planning, implementing and analysing measurements. While this freedom was welcome, the downside was that, when unexpected problems arose, there was no course book to consult for the correct solution. However, I was always able to solve the problems by systematically going through possible sources of error. Finding the solution was one of the best feelings,’Ristolainen continues.
According to Ristolainen, the six company visits were also a pleasant surprise due to their abundance and comprehensiveness. He says that during the visits, they covered practically the entire semiconductor industry, from silicon wafer manufacture to final processing and highly advanced product manufacture.
‘Overall, the visits provided a comprehensive overview of the semiconductor industry and the job opportunities available. I believe that this summer job was an excellent first step towards a career in research, whether in academia or industry,’ says Ristolainen. .
Photos: Aalto University/Susanna Jaarmo.
Come and get to know heavily growing semiconductor industry and companies in Finland. When you know semiconductor industry better you will get more out of your future studies and build relationships that support your career.
Emma got her summer job in a research group thanks to donations from companies in the semiconductor industry. The summer job confirmed her interest in the field.
Semiconductors play a crucial role in many parts of modern technology. So-called "Semi-Summer jobs" at Aalto University serve as a concrete example of a research and education partnership between the Aalto schools of technology and businesses in the semiconductor industry.
The Alumnus of the Year appreciates his institute and has only noticed the value of the know-how acquired during the studies in working life.
Donations from companies in the semiconductor industry enabled students Niko Lindh and Adrián Gutiérrez Cruz to get summer jobs with Aalto University research groups
This summer, student Adrián Gutiérrez Cruz is working at the Organic Electronics research group. Since his background is primarily related to material science and chemistry, he is particularly interested in gaining experience and knowledge in the electronic aspects of the semiconductor technology field.
Niko Lindh, who is studying in the Functional Materials major, will be working in a research group at the Department of Chemistry and Materials Science during the summer. He believes that the experience in research work will be beneficial for his future career.
